Mandy DealeyChair Austin, TXMandy Dealey was raised in the Dallas area and attended The Hockaday School before going on to study at The University of Texas at Austin where she earned a B.A. in Art History and a MPAff from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. Dealey has been active in civic activities on the city, state, and national levels, and has served on numerous boards, councils, and committees including the Planning and Downtown Commissions for the City of Austin, Planned Parenthood of Austin, Heritage Society of Austin, Austin Community Foundation, KMFA Radio, and the Junior League of Austin.

Stephen EnnissBrumbalow Director Austin, TXDr. Stephen Enniss is the Betty Brumbalow Director of the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin. He has held previous appointments at the Folger Shakespeare Library and at Emory University’s Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library. During his tenure, the Ransom Center has acquired the archives of Ian McEwan, Michael Ondaatje, Rachel Cusk, Arthur Miller, and Nobel Laureates Gabriel García Márquez and Kazuo Ishiguro. His research interests are in twentieth century poetry, and he has written on Ted Hughes, Sylvia Plath, and Seamus Heaney, among other figures. He is past recipient of a Leverhulme Fellowship from the University of London, and he is the author of After the Titanic: A Life of Derek Mahon (Gill and Macmillan, 2014).

Ramona AdamsHouston, TXRamona Adams was executive director of the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance for 17 years and has been an active volunteer in several local community organizations, including as a board member of MECA (Multi-ethnic Counseling in the Arts), for seven years. She has served on the Mayor’s Committee for Preservation of City Hall and the Mayor’s History Task Force; the Selection Committee for the redevelopment of several city-owned historic buildings; the Texas Avenue Project, Phase II; the Historic Resources Committee of the American Institute of Architects, Houston Chapter; the Advisory Board for the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston; the San Jacinto Museum Board of Directors; the Gulf Coast Journal Board of Directors; The Houston Club Board of Directors; Advisory Board of the Hobby Center for Public Policy, and the Steering Committee for the Houston Metropolitan Survey. She also serves on the Advisory Council of the Friends of Southwestern University.

Sergio AlcocerAustin, TXSergio Alcocer holds an EMBA from the Berlin School of Creative Leadership and sits on the Board of the Art Directors Club in New York. With an advertising career that spans more than 25 years, Sergio worked in Mexico, South America, the Caribbean, and New York before making his home in Austin in 1999. After many years of leading LatinWorks, a cultural branding agency that was named Multicultural Agency of the Year in the United States three times, he launched a new agency – Rest of the World. Sergio has won numerous national and international awards, including eight Cannes Lions. He has been a juror for dozens of international advertising festivals and is an in-demand speaker around the world.

Joined Council: 2013 Current Term: 2016–2019

Gordon ApplemanFort Worth, TXGordon Appleman is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin and Harvard Law School. Currently, he is an attorney with Thompson & Knight, L.L.P., and a member of the American Law Institute and the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. His community service includes membership on the boards of The University of Texas Foundation, Inc. (former President), the Chancellor’s Council of The University of Texas System (former Chairman of the Executive Committee), the Ex-Student’s Association of The University of Texas at Austin (former President), The University of Texas at Austin Liberal Arts Advisory Council (former Chairman), the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement Advisory Council, and the Recreational Sports Advisory Council. He is secretary and treasurer of the Texas Coalition for Excellence in Higher Education. He also is a former president of The WARM Place and a former chair of the Central Area of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce.

Joe ArmstrongPlano, TXJoe Armstrong earned a B.A. in journalism at Trinity University and a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law. As a media executive, he served as the publisher of 10 magazines, including New York, Rolling Stone, Civilization, and the Harvard Lampoon, among others. He has also been an advisor to TIME, Random House, Doubleday, American Express Publishing, Hearst, Gannett newspapers, and HBO. In 2001, he became a full-time advisor to ABC News and worked with anchor Peter Jennings (including the round-the-clock coverage of 9/11) and Diane Sawyer. He is a volunteer for Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang Camp for children with life-threatening illnesses, the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders, Habitat for Humanity, and many others. He also serves on the boards of the Briscoe Center for American History and the University of Texas Press and is actively involved with the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights.

Joined Council: 2009 Current Term: 2016–2019

Rudolf BekinkAustin, TXRudolf Simon Bekink was born in Assen, The Netherlands, and holds an M.A. in Economy from the University of Groningen. He launched his diplomatic career by working for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then went on to work in Greece, Angola, and the East Asia Division of the Foreign Ministry. From 1982-1986, he served as the first secretary for the Political Department in the Embassy in Washington, D.C. covering Africa, Latin America, Europe, and protocol. From there he became chargé d’affaires to Ghana before taking positions as Deputy Head of Division, Ministry of Economic Affairs; Personnel Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Deputy Head of Mission Dutch Permanent Representation to the OECD Paris, France. He served as Director of Protocol for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1997–2000, and most recently as the ambassador to the People’s Republic of China after stints as ambassador to Belgium and Sweden.

Joined Council: 2016 Current Term: 2016–2019

Lynne B. BentsenHouston, TXLynne Bentsen has 30 years of experience in the initiation of new business ventures, investor programs, and venture capital sourcing in the entrepreneurial marketplace, employing selective representation of start-up businesses and product ventures with an emphasis on the development of long-range business planning and capital formation by providing advisory services with specific emphasis on strategic planning for development, business plan implementation, and exit strategies. Currently, Lynne is an investment partner with 7enSa, a London-based international trade finance group, working in the Caribbean and Latin American marketplace. In addition to her professional achievements, Lynne has served for more than 40 years as an active board member for 22 non-profit agencies and community-based organizations, as well as founding two foundations. Lynne has also maintained an active presence in various political campaigns at the local, state, and national levels.

Jacobo BergarecheMadrid, SpainJacobo Bergareche Mendoza was born in London to a family of newspaper publishers and studied fine arts at Universidad Complutense de Madrid, graduating from Emerson College where he studied writing, literature, and publishing. He worked as a screenwriter for the sitcom Casi Perfectos and the action comedy Los Simuladores. On site in Iran, he produced and shot the documentary Iran Uncovered. He has created, written and produced the fiction show Plan America, HK, Karabudjan, and Los 33 de Atacama. He is the founder of Wake App, a mobile content production company where he produced a number of apps, including, an interactive-song album by Academy Award winner Jorge Drexler. He lives in Madrid where he is developing a children’s cartoon show, Adventures in Bodytown, an adaptation of a book collection he wrote for Penguin Random House books in Spain.

Joined Council 2017Current Term: 2017-2020

Dawn BlackAustin, TXDawn Black is a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and a graduate of the University of Oklahoma. As the marketing director Ice Capades, she created marketing and advertising campaigns in more than 50 U.S. markets. She formed her own film and marketing company, Black Dog Productions, and created, produced, and syndicated the award-winning home-improvement television series, Our House. Black is an Inc. Magazine Entrepreneur of the Year Award recipient. She has served as an independent marketing consultant for organizations such as Continental Airlines and Fine Art Connoisseur. Black has been involved with many Austin charitable organizations, including Ballet Austin, Seton Children’s Council, Inherit Austin, Probe Center, Young Life, ABBA, SafePlace, and National Charity League.

Judith L. BollingerSingaporeJudith Bollinger is the CEO of Judico Capital Pte. Limited, a Singapore-based fund that invests in Pan Asian listed equities. She is also the non-executive Chairman of ABG Sundal Collier, an investment bank listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange. Bollinger has more than 30 years of experience in the securities business in the US, Europe, and Asia. In 1993, she become Head of UK and European Research for the Goldman Sachs London office. Bollinger served as the chairman of the development committee for the British Library; serves as the chairman of the finance and audit committee of the Foundling Museum, the archives of the 18th Century Foundling Hospital; and is a trustee of Independent Opera, a platform to support and develop young talent. Bollinger is the chair of the University of Pennsylvania Libraries Board of Overseers and a member of Penn’s Board of Trustees, Penn’s Investment Board and the Wharton Executive Board for Asia.

Joined Council 2017 Current Term: 2017-2020

Suzanne Deal BoothAustin, TXSuzanne Deal Booth holds a B.A. from Rice Univresity, an M.A. in Art History from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, and a Certificate in Art Conservation from the Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts, NYU. She is the founder and director of Friends of Heritage Preservation, a non-profit foundation with preservation and conservation projects spanning four continents that has helped restore 18th century works in Mexico, important old master European paintings and sculptures, Buddhist temples in India, and modern sculptures by Donald Judd, among others. She has served as a consultant to the Getty Art History Information Program and the Getty Conservation Institute. She currently serves on the board of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the Institute of Fine Arts, NYU; and the American Academy in Rome. She is a former board member of the California Cultural and Historical Endowment, and founded Orsini Press. She is an arts writer for the Huffington Post and other publications.

Tom BordersAustin, TXTom Borders received his B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and an M.A. from the University of Michigan. He is co-founder and former CEO of Borders Books Shop, Inc. He is currently president of Midtown Group, Inc. and the manager of Sixth Street Films. Borders is a director of the Bank of Ann Arbor and serves on the Tapestry Foundation Board of Directors. He is former chair of the Harry Ransom Center Advisory Council.

Joined Council: 2000 Current Term: 2016–2019

Annette Campbell-WhiteOakland, CAAnnette Campbell-White holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and M.S. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Cape Town in South Africa. She served as founder and senior managing partner of MedVenture Associates, a biomedical venture capital firm from 1986 to 2015. Campbell-White is a strong supporter of the arts, serving on the boards of the San Francisco Opera and the the Garsington Opera (U.K.), and is a sustaining trustee of Cal Performances, the performing arts organization of the University of California, Berkeley. In 1997, she established the Kia Ora Foundation whose scholarships enable post-graduate students from New Zealand to study abroad. In May 2016, she was announced as the second founding member of the Wikipedia Endowment Advisory Board, after Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia. In 2018, she was named Philanthropist of the Year at the International Opera Awards in London.

Margaret Vaughan CoxHouston, TX

Margaret Vaughan Cox is founder and president of MCV Consulting, specializing in corporate strategy formation and family legacy and leadership planning. As a trusted advisor, she has worked throughout North America, Europe, Australia, South Africa, and the Middle East. She holds B.A. degrees in English Literature and Art History and an MBA from Vanderbilt University. She is a graduate of the Society for Organizational Learning’s Foundations for Leadership program, and of the American Works of Art Masters Program at Sotheby’s Institute of Art. She is a popular guest speaker and a senior consultant with Family Office Exchange. She is a member of the International Women’s Forum and a past director of The Texas Lyceum. She serves on the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston Board of Trustees, Houston Advanced Research Center Board of Directors, Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management Advisory Board, and Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music Governing Council.

Joined Council: 2017 Current Term: 2017-2020

Karolyne H. C. GarnerDallas, TXKarolyne Garner is general counsel of LawProse, Inc. in Dallas. She began her legal career as an intellectual-property litigator and patent attorney in Dallas. She is an active member on the Library Committee of the Dallas Bar Association, the CLE Committee, and the Minority Participation Committee. As part of the Dallas Bar Association’s outreach programs, Karolyne mentors three to five students every year in the AVID Program for inner-city schools. Garner received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA and her J.D. from Texas Tech University School of Law.

David GartenHouston, TXDavid Garten recently retired as vice president and general counsel of Chevron Texaco Corporation’s global downstream business. He graduated summa cum laude with departmental honors in economics from Yale University, was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and received his J.D. from Yale Law School. Garten was a judicial clerk for future Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy and later was a partner in the Chicago office of Kirkland & Ellis. He is a member of the Houston Advisory Board of the Nature Conservatory of Texas and a past member of the Board of Directors of the Bayou City Breakfast Club.

Joined Council: 2001 Current Term: 2016–2019

Tom GreenAustin, TXTom Green is an actor working in Austin and New York City. A native of Salt Lake City, Tom graduated from the University of Utah in 1977 with. B.A. in English. In 1980, he graduated from the University of Utah College of Law. He then clerked for Monroe McKay of the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, followed by a clerkship with Chief Justice Warren E. Burger of the United States Supreme Court. He taught at the University of Texas School of Law as an adjunct professor, and completed his legal career after serving eleven years as General Counsel of Dell, Inc. Tom served on the board of Austin’s public television station KLRU for many years, including two terms as board chair. He remains co-chair of KLRU’s Austin City Limits committee.

Richard GroenendykeTulsa, OKRichard Groenendyke, Jr. holds a B.A. from the University of Alabama, an M.A. from St. John’s College Graduate Institute, and a J.D. from the Cumberland School of Law, Samford University. Groenendyke served in the U.S. Army as an officer in the Judge Advocates General’s Corps, and was on active duty from 1970–72. After leaving the Army, he practiced law with several firms including Shannon, Odom, Robertson & Jackson; Odom, Robertson, Groenendyke & Thompson; Groenendyke & Salter; and Hall, Estill, Hardwick, Gable, Golden & Nelson. In 1985, he was named One of America’s Best 100 Trial Lawyers by Town and Country Magazine. Groenendyke currently serves on the President’s Council of the School for Advanced Research in Santa Fe and the Board of Visitors and Governors, St. John’s College in Annapolis and Santa Fe.

Margaret HightAustin, TXMargaret Hight was born in New Orleans, raised in Jasper, Texas, and has lived in Corpus Christi and Phoenix, Ariz., but has called Austin home for the past 15 years. She oversees the management of her family ranching interests. Hight has a passion for travel and a keen interest in history which has resulted in numerous summers spent attending classes at Kellogg College, Oxford; a month following the Silk Road; and years assisting an archaeological dig in the Orkney Islands - the “Orkney Project” from Kellogg College at Oxford. She has been active in organizations in and outside of Austin include Zach Theater-Grove of Trees, “Orkney Project Dig” Sponsor, Stephen’s Episcopal School, Royal Oak Society, National Trust for Historic Preservation, KLRU, Blanton Museum of Art, and West Lake Hills Garden Club.

Matt HennemanHouston, TXMatt Henneman was a former chief prosecutor with more than 20 years of experience trying civil jury trials and arbitrations. Henneman has handled a broad range of litigation in some of the most complex areas of the law, including fiduciary litigation, non-competition and trade secret disputes, injunctive actions, product liability suits, first amendment claims, employment matters, whistleblower suits and securities arbitrations. He served as regional and national litigation counsel for several large securities firms, and has represented clients in courts and before arbitration panels in over 30 states. Henneman is one of the most sought-after counselors by members of the banking and securities industry for issues related to business transition, regulatory compliance and customer disputes, and routinely prosecutes and defends claims of unfair competition and business “raiding” throughout the United States, Texas Board of Securities, SEC, and numerous other forums.

Jill JewettHouston, TXJill Jewett is vice-president and director of the Finger Companies, a national independent developer of luxury multi-family properties. Prior to becoming involved in both the company’s management and development operations on a full-time basis in late 2016, she was President of Jewett Consulting, focusing on community-building projects and non-profit organizations. Jewett Consulting’s projects included the creation and development of Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston (MATCH), a 60,000 square foot performing and visual arts facility that provides offices and venues for a broad spectrum of Houston’s arts organizations. She holds B.A. degrees in Art History and American Studies from the University of Virginia and an M.B.A. from Rice University. She is currently on the board of the Houston Parks Board, the Houston Zoo, and on the advisory boards of the Glassell School of Art and the Greater Houston Community Foundation.

Shaun JordanAustin, TXShaun Jordan joined Artemis Capital Management with 15 years of capital raising experience in the global macro hedge fund space. Before joining Artemis, Shaun directed the capital raising efforts at Abraham Trading Company for 13 years and at e360 Power LLC for one year. Jordan graduated with a B.A. in Economics from The University of Texas at Austin, where he was a captain of the swimming and diving team that won four consecutive NCAA National Championships. He returned to The University of Texas at Austin for an M.B.A. Shaun was a member of the 1988 and 1992 USA Olympic Swim Teams, where he won two Olympic Gold Medals as a member of the 4X100 freestyle relay.

Joined Council: 2013 Current Term: 2016–2019

Jeanne KleinAustin, TexasAustin resident Jeanne Klein received a B.S. in Education from The University of Texas at Austin. She is president of the board for Artpace in San Antonio, and serves on the the Blanton Museum of Art Advisory Board, the College of Education of The University of Texas Advisory Board, the Development Board of The University of Texas, and the Artlies Board of Directors. Klein has previously served as president of the board of the Core Program of the Glassell School of Art, sponsor and founder of the Menil Contemporaries of Houston, and on the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation Board of Directors.

Harris L. KempnerGalveston, TXShrub Kempner was born in Galveston, Texas, and has beena civic leader in that city for many years. He is a cum laude graduate from Harvard University and earned an MBA from Stanford University. He is trustee of the H. Kempner Trust Association, president and chairman of Kempner Capital Management, Inc., and chairman of Balmorhea Ranches, Inc. Since 1993, he has served as chairman emeritus and advisor to the United States National Bank Board of Directors. He serves as an emeritus director to both Frost Bank in Galveston and Cullen-Frost Bankers, Inc. in San Antonio. He is a member of the American Jewish Committee Board of Governors; a past chairman of The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston’s Development Board; and currently serves on the board of directors for the Galveston College Foundation, the Galveston County Economic Development Alliance, and the Galveston Economic Development Partnership.

Matt KreisleAustin, TXMatt Kreisle, a fifth-generation Austonian, graduated from The University of Texas School of Architecture with a B.Arch. During his tenure with Page, Kreisle has organized and directed many of Austin’s landmark projects, among them the Barbara Jordan Passenger Terminal at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, the Austin Convention Center, and the Robert E. Johnson Legislative Office Building that stands adjacent to the State Capitol. In addition, Kreisle has chaired the Austin Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Associates, served as citizen adviser to the City of Austin’s Downtown Commission, and held a seat on the board of the Real Estate Council of Austin. Kreisle was appointed by Governor Rick Perry as Chairman of the Texas Historical Commission, which oversees the preservation of architectural, archeological and cultural landmarks in Texas.

Beth MadisonHouston, TXBeth Madison is a shareholder and managing director of Higginbotham and Associates, and co-founder of Madison Benefits Group. Madison received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston and now serves as Regent for the University of Houston System. Madison is active in philanthropic activities, serving as Trustee of Madison Charitable Foundation, Past Chairman of the Houston World Affairs Council, Senior Chairman of the Houston Grand Opera, Secretary for the Board of the Alley Theatre, and Secretary for the Rice University Shepherd School of Music Society. She has been recognized for her services by ABC/13 as a Woman of Distinction in 2011 and named Ambassador in 2014. She received the Community Pillar Award in 2012 from Preservation Houston, and was named a Visionary Leader by the Houston Symphony in 2012. She was inducted into the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame in 2013.

Edmund McIlhennyAvery Island, LAEdmund McIlhenny is currently vice president and director of Avery Island, Inc. He also serves as a director of McIlhenny Company, a closely held corporation that manufactures and sells TABASCO brand products worldwide. He received a B.A. degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a law degree from Tulane University. He has served as president of Jefferson City Ltd., president of Freshwater City Development Corporation, director and chairman of the Compensation Committee of The Exploration Company of Louisiana, and was a founding partner, along with his wife Pam, of Energy Partners, Ltd.. He serves on the library boards of the University of North Carolina and the College of Charleston. Previously, he served as chairman of the board and founding member of the Louisiana Nature Conservancy, as a member of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, and Chairman of the Board of Dauterive Hospital.

J

Gilbert Lang MathewsSan Antonio, TXGilbert Mathews is the CEO and founder of Lucifer Lighting Company, a San Antonio-based manufacturer of high-end architectural lighting fixtures used in corporate facilities, retail stores, restaurants, hotels, museums, and residences worldwide. Gilbert works with architects and designers as part of his business and is an Honorary Member of the American Institute of Architects. He also serves as a Life Advisory Board Member of The University of Texas School of Architecture, on the President’s Development Board of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, as a Trustee for the KLRN Endowment Fund, and as a member of the Board of Visitors of the North Carolina School of the Arts. Mathews holds degrees from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and from the Columbia University School of Law. He is a member of the Grolier Club, a private club in New York City for book collectors.

Celeste MeierSan Francisco, CACeleste Meier studied at UCLA and subsequently worked in the independent film industry as a film editor in San Francisco. She and her husband own Anthony Meier Fine Arts in San Francisco, a gallery of international contemporary artists and one of the most prominent art dealers on the West Coast. She has extensive non-profit board and fundraising experience. She is the former board president of Performing Arts Workshop and has served on the board of Parents Place, a Program of Jewish Family and Children’s Services, and the Zen Hospice. Meier served on the board of the San Francisco Film Society and chaired their Development Committee. She currently sits on the board of the San Francisco SPCA.

Marti MeyersonNew York, NYMarti Meyerson graduated with a B.A. in Art History from Pitzer College in California and works in the publishing business. She worked for magazines at Ziff/Davis and Conde Nast and her last paid job was as the associate publisher of The New Republic. Marti has been passionately involved with the JCC of Manhattan for 18 years and recently stepped down from her position as board chair, a title which she held for six years.

Frank NeedhamDallas, TXFrank Needham is a Dallas attorney with Needham Vernone. He graduated from Duke University in 1981 with a B.A. in English and from SMU School of Law in 1984 with a J.D. Needham is a member of the Dallas Bar Association, State Bar of Texas, and the Texas Bar Foundation (elected Fellow in 1996), and achieved an AV rating with Martindale-Hubbell. He serves as chairman of the Oak Cliff Cemetery Association Board of Trustees and was recently named to the Estate Planning Council of Southwestern Medical Foundation and UT Southwestern Medical Center. He served as the chair of the Harry Ransom Center Advisory Council from 2015-2018.

Adam MuhligAustin, TXAdam Muhlig has been active as an independent appraiser of literary materials, including books, original manuscripts, letters, and other archival materials, for more than 15 years. His clients include authors, composers, performers, libraries, archives, and other private and public educational institutions throughout the United States.

The Honorable Rosalba OjedaMexico City, MexicoRosalba Ojeda has a B.A. in international relations, having graduated with honors from the University of the Americas in Puebla, Mexico in 1977. She pursued graduate studies at the Institute of Political Studies in Paris, France from 1972 to 1973 and received an M.A. from The University of Texas at Austin in 1975. She is fluent in Spanish, Italian, English, and French. Ojeda was appointed as Consul General of Mexico in Austin, Texas by the President of Mexico, Felipe Calderon. Her assignment began on May 1, 2007 and concluded in 2015. Ojeda was a member of the Foreign Service of Mexico for more than 30 years. Within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs she has assumed a multitude of responsibilities. She previously served as Ambassador of Mexico to the Republic of Guatemala and as Ambassador of Mexico to Trinidad and Tobago.

Sam RadinNew York, NYSam Radin founded National Madison Group, Inc. in 1984. Today, as a nationally recognized firm, NMG serves as a technical resource to investment and tax professionals and provides insurance planning services to domestic and international families and their businesses. A lawyer, Mr. Radin is known as an expert in the use and design of life insurance products, and has developed bespoke insurance structures for U.S. and foreign individuals, institutional investors and sovereign wealth funds.A unique aspect of his practice is planning for writers and other creative professionals, including the disposition of their copyright catalogues. He received his B.A. degree from Columbia College and his law degree from Boston University School of Law.

Lewis G. Smith III, MDTyler, TXLewis Smith is an eighth-generation Texan who counts as an ancestor someone who fought on the side of the Texicans in the Battle of Goliad and then survived the subsequent massacre. His family has long been involved in business and politics; however, he abstained from following in the family tradition and became an oncologist. He attended Groton then Yale University, where he majored in molecular biochemistry-biophysics and minored in Soviet policy. After leaving Yale he spent a year at Cambridge where he studied British legal history before attending the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University. He currently the chairman of the UT Health Northeast Department of Radiation Oncology. While at Yale, he developed an interest in theater, becoming an aficionado of the wit and humor of G. B. Shaw.

Nancy ScanlanCouncillor Austin, TXNancy Scanlan graduated from St Stephen’s School in Austin, Texas and then went on to Smith College in Northampton, MA where she earned a B.A. in Art History. She did graduate work at Columbia University before returning to Austin to teach at St. Stephen’s. Following a year of study in Paris, France, she became the assistant director of Kiko Art Gallery in Houston. She has worked as a freelance portrait photographer and fine art photographer for the past 25 years. She has also been a community volunteer, serving on many boards, including Laguna Gloria Art Museum, St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, Women and Their Work, and the Mental Health Association of Travis County. She currently sits on the board of KMFA Classical Radio as well as the advisory councils of Conspirare, the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, and Mexic-Arte Museum. She also served as president of the Tuesday Club for the year 2001–2002.

Jeffrey M. SoneDallas, TXJeffrey Sone is a partner at Jackson Walker L.L.P. and has been an attorney for more than 35 years. He focuses his practice on technology and business finance transactions and counseling corporate officers, directors and other fiduciaries. Jeff received his B.S. from Washington and Lee University and his J.D. from The University of Texas School of Law and is an active supporter of local artistic traditions, including board and advisor service to the Center for the Advancement and Study of Early Texas Art, Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, Texas Art Collectors Organization and the Cedars Union.

Lois Farfel StarkHouston, TXLois Farfel Stark was a producer/writer of documentary specials for NBC Network News in Washington, D.C. and New York City, filming in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Cuba, and throughout the U.S. In Houston, she continued to produce documentaries for NBC and civic institutions on social and artistic subjects. Her book,The Telling Image : Shapes of Changing Times, reveals how to read the past and glimpse the future through the lens of shape. Stark has been a trustee of Sarah Lawrence College, the Texas Children’s Hospital, the Alley Theater, St. John’s School, Texas Committee for the Humanities, Texas Commission on the Arts, Rhodes Scholar Selection Committee for Texas, and on the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas/Small Business Council, among others. She is a Fellow of the American Leadership Forum and the Center for Houston’s Future, and was elected to the Texas Philosophical Society and the Women’s Leadership Board of Harvard Kennedy School.

Marion Lear SwaybillNew York, NYMarion Lear Swaybill is an Emmy Award-winning television producer, pioneering media executive, and communications strategist. Recent award-winning productions include: Tricked (Silver Baton, Feature Documentary, Honolulu Film Festival, 2014); Lost Hope (Best Short Film, New York Festivals, 2014); A Company of Voices: Conspirare in Concert (Grammy award nominee, 2009); By The People: Democracy in the Wild (Hugo Award, Chicago International Television Festival, 2007); KZ (Sundance documentary competition, 2006); and A Normal Life (Best Feature Documentary, Tribeca Film Festival, 2004). She is the author of Oysters: A Celebration in the Raw [Abbeville Press, 2016] winner of the Readable Feast People’s Choice Award, Best Culinary Book, 2016. She serves on the advisory committee of Austin-based Conspirare and on the board of ECPAT USA.

Steven StodghillDallas, TXSteven Stodghill is a litigation partner in the firm’s Dallas office, where his practice emphasizes all aspects of complex litigation. He has served as team counsel for the Dallas Mavericks from 2000 to 2002. He was a founding partner at Lynn, Stodghill, Melsheimer & Tillotson (which the Texas Monthly described in a 1998 article “Top Guns” as the “Navy Seals” of litigation), working with the firm from 1993 to 2000. He also served as an associate with Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld from 1987 to 1993 and as a Legislative Assistant for Congressman Ralph M. Hall in 1985. Stodghill has a B.A and J.D. from The University of Texas at Austin. His philanthropic interests include AFI/Dallas International Film Festival/Dallas Film Society, the National Advisory Council of the American Film Institute, Boy Scouts of America, Dallas Opera, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, John Wayne Cancer Foundation, Meadows Museum, SMU Tate Lecture Series, and the Vince Young Foundation.

Mitch VernickAustin, TX

Mitch Vernick has a B.A. in Political Science and Master of Public Policy from the University of Michigan and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. With a distinguished career in the financial services industry with a focus in commercial lending and private equity investing, he has served as president of Transamerica Finance Corporation and vice chairman of Heller Financial, Inc. Currently, he is an advisor and investor with several private equity firms and sits on the boards of several portfolio companies. Mitch and his wife, Johanna, are parents of a daughter who is a U.T. graduate and works in advertising, and a son, who is on the autism spectrum. Their son inspired them to found an autism therapy center in the Chicago area and a program in Austin which focuses on young adults with autism.

Mark L.D. WawroHouston, TXMark Wawro has practiced law at Susman Godfrey in Houston since 1980. A native of West Hartford, Connecticut, Mark graduated from Brown University in 1975 with a B.A. in English Literature. In 1979, he graduated from the University of Texas School of Law, after which he clerked for Judge Carolyn D. King of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Wawro also serves as a trustee of the Menil Collection in Houston, and is presently on the Board of Texas Appleseed in Austin, a public-interest law center. He also serves on the Boards of the Texas Law Review Association and the Houston Cinema Arts Society, and is a member of the Film Committee of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston.

Adam ZanerDallas, TXAdam Zaner and his wife Karin are the principals at Zaner Law PC, a firm with offices in Dallas and Austin dedicated to the representation of physicians and other professionals in the business of medicine. He has focused his legal career on the strategic evaluation and successful resolution of highly complex matters. His strengths are in research, analysis, writing, and the overall prognosis of extremely intricate, high-dollar outcomes. He has practiced with prominent private firms, and has served as in-house counsel to major national corporations. He has degrees in philosophy and law from The University of Texas at Austin. He is a Lifetime Member of the Texas Exes, a charter donor and Lifetime Member of the University Park Public Library, an alumnus of Leadership University Park, an ardent supporter of Human Rights Initiative of North Texas, and a proud annual sponsor of the Jazz Age Sunday Social at Dallas Heritage Village.

Laura WilsonDallas, TXLaura Wilson is a photographer whose work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, GQ Magazine, English Vogue, London’s Sunday Times Magazine, The Washington Post Magazine, and Wallpaper. Laura has an impressive career photographing people, art and architecture and as a filmmaker. She is the author of five books in which she provides both her photographs and text. She currently is working on a project that will become a book and exhibition for the Ransom Center of 35 of the most distinguished writers at work today, those writers who will have a lasting literary legacy.

Staff Contacts

Maggie GilburgDirector of Development512-471-9643Cell: 512-917-9491 mgilburg@utexas.edu

Bruce CostnerAssistant Director of Development512-232-3668 bruce.costner@austin.utexas.edu

Cheryl McGrathSenior Administrative Associate512-471-3745 cmcgrath@austin.utexas.edu

Lyndsee NielsonMembership Manager512-232-3669 lyndsee.nielson@austin.utexas.edu